Scott's 1979 Triumph Spitfire 1500

Well, it finally happened. After having a Fiat Spider 1800 for a summer (borrowed), I have finally found my own L(B)C.... A 1979 Triumph Spitfire. I had four weeks of pleasureable vacation in California, a big step from the frigid winters in Chicago, and was going through the newspaper when I found the ad for this car. "Blown motor," it said, and I knew it was what I wanted. Or at least what I could afford at the time.

My experience is mainly with Toyota, and I hold their engineering in the highest regard. After owning three of these cars, none with any less than 200,000 miles on them, I have decided that there really isn't anything better... Therefore, instead of rebuilding the Spit motor (rod knock, creamed internals, etc) I decided to use a 4A-GE motor and T-50 5 speed trans in the Spit. That was before I got a job where I was traveling 30 weeks of the year for work, working 12 hours a day and generally not having any time to do anything that even resembled modifications. I still have the desire to make the car into a 4A-GE/T50 equipped runaround, but haven't had the time to do so. But, I'll keep the list of parts up here on the web for those of you who have the time and desire to dot the swap.

The parts required for the swap are rather small in number. Here is the preliminary listing:
The car itself was moved from it's original location (CA) to my Illinois location in February 1998. A 2100 mile endevour, but well worth it. The body of the car was PERFECT. The PO was a Triumph mechanic, and it was his baby. He spent a year restoring it, and his work shows. The only thing he neglected was the oil pressure relief spring, and by the time he detected the rod knock it was too late to save the motor from destruction.

So, now to me. Three cars, no daily driver problems as I have had in the past, and the desire to be stupid. So with the thought of total restoration in my head, I took the car into my friend's shop in Crest Hill, IL. Lee Davis does some of the best work around, hence the sheer number of Ferrari's, Lambourghini's, Lotus' (Louti?) and other exotics around. Some shops are proud that they have worked on these cars. Lee gets so many in that it's hard to remember which one was in there last week. It's amazing. So is his work. And so my car sits in his shop, waiting for it's turn under the spray gun. In all fairness, I haven't been up on my end of the deal, doing the mechanical restoration of the car. So when I get around to doing the work, he will spray the body, and the car will go back together.

The motor swap would change the car from the advertized ~61hp to the Toyota 112. This swap will not increase the weight at all, and should decrease it some. There is one person working on Alberta, Canada, on a swap using the same motor, as well as a friend of mine who is also considering doing the same after I figure out what needs to be done.

The increase in horsepower is considerable; the one complaint I have heard of the spit is that it is underpowered. Also unreliable- this would be killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. The end goal is a well handling, reliable, good looking, well powered vehicle. No problem!

And beyond the 112hp range. Toyota does offer a 165hp version of the motor, using a 5th valve and a hydraulically actuated cam which can vary the intake timing up to 60 degrees. If I come across the money, this is a definate possibility, as well as a direct drop in at that point. Gawd, what a rush, having that much power in a car weighing around 1500lbs...... A GT-6 rear end may be substituted to handle the extra power.

Current situation. I have decided that it's best to simply rebuild the stock motor to specifications, and add EFI to make the car drivable. Though at first I may simply use the electronics from a 1980-83 corolla with a weber carb that I have laying around.